Small, set for his first game of the season, is undergoing a special programme to make sure that his continual hamstring trouble becomes a thing of the past.

Treatment includes deep massage and manipulation: "It's painful but I don't mind if it's going to help me, and I'm feeling good," said the winger, whose comeback is set to begin in the Reserves against Port Vale at Hillsborough on Tuesday (7pm).

He suffered a hamstring problem again and had two fingers dislocated in the first pre-season friendly, in Holland.: "I've just got to get my match fitness back again; my basic fitness is good; we did some fitness tests this week and my results in those were better than the ones I had before," he said.

"I just want to come back and help the team again and stay fit; before, I've got injured again and had to pick myself up.

"I've been to see different guys about why I kept tearing the hamstring. It's all about maintenance, and I'm doing a strengthening programme. Hopefully, the problems are all done with, now."

Ex-Owls ace Whelan eyes further success

Small not only picked up the latest in a series of hamstring injuries in Holland: two of his fingers were damaged when an opponent kicked the ball against him.

It was typical bad luck for the man whose return to fitness would add to the wing options currently provided by Jermaine Johnson and Etienne Esajas.

Meanwhile, the Owls await developments in the takeover saga. Playing down a suggestion that a breakthrough could be sealed by the end of this week, consortium front man Geoff Sheard told The Star: "The ball is in our court but I won't drawn on a timescale, despite what has been printed elsewhere."

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